A splendid map dedicated to the Island of Oléron, off the Atlantic coast of France, published in 1690 by the famous Venetian cartographer Vincenzo Maria Coronelli as part of his monumental *Corso Geografico Universale*.
The engraving depicts the island with great precision, showing its settlements, fortifications, coastlines, seabed, and major navigational landmarks, alongside a representation of the facing mainland coast. The left side is dominated by the title, the dedication to Paolo Donà, and a numbered legend listing 66 notable places. Of note are the decorative heraldic coat of arms and the elegant composition typical of the finest Venetian Baroque cartography.
Vincenzo Maria Coronelli (Venice, 1650–1718) is unanimously considered one of the greatest geographers, cartographers, and cosmographers of the Baroque era. A Conventual Franciscan, Coronelli was able to combine his deep religious vocation with an extraordinary and tireless scientific, editorial, and entrepreneurial career.
Having entered the Order of Friars Minor Conventual at a very young age, he soon demonstrated an exceptional talent for the study of mathematics and geography. His international fame was definitively established in the early 1680s when, at the invitation of Cardinal César d’Estrées, he moved to Paris to create two monumental globes (one terrestrial and one celestial) with a diameter of nearly four meters for the Sun King, Louis XIV. These masterpieces, known as the Marly Globes, astonished Europe with their scientific precision and the artistic magnificence of their decorations.
Upon his return to Venice, in 1684 Coronelli founded the Accademia degli Argonauti, considered the world’s first geographical society, through which he promoted the dissemination of geographical knowledge and the publication of atlases of extraordinary value. Appointed Cosmographer of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, he established a highly productive publishing workshop within the Frari Convent.
Among his monumental works are the *Atlante Veneto* (1691–1696), a monumental publishing undertaking intended as an ideal continuation of Blaeu’s work; the *Corso geografico universale* (1692); and the pioneering *Biblioteca Universale Sacro-Profana*, an ambitious project for an alphabetical encyclopedia that unfortunately remained unfinished.
Appointed Minister General of his Order in 1701, Coronelli traveled extensively throughout Europe, gathering firsthand data, measurements, and maps. His cartographic work is distinguished by the transition from the purely decorative style of the early seventeenth century to a more rigorous approach, based on the latest astronomical discoveries and the accounts of contemporary travelers. His legacy remains a milestone in the history of science, having transformed cartography from an empirical discipline into a precise geometric and geopolitical art.
